MAIN BATTLE TANK

ILMU PENGETAHUAN

Main battle tank
German Leopard 2A5 main battle tank.
Type	Tank
Service history
In service	1946–present
Specifications
Armor	Steel plate or composite armour. May be supplemented by explosive reactive armour plating.
Primary weapon	Tank gun
Suspension	Torsion bar or hydropneumatic.

A battle tank was described in Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe as follows:
The term "battle tank" means a self-propelled armoured fighting vehicle, capable of heavy firepower, primarily of a high muzzle velocity direct fire main gun necessary to engage armoured and other targets, with high cross-country mobility, with a high level of self-protection, and which is not designed and equipped primarily to transport combat troops. Such armoured vehicles serve as the principal weapon system of ground-force tank and other armoured formations. Battle tanks are tracked armoured fighting vehicles which weigh at least 16.5 metric tonnes unladen weight and which are armed with a 360-degree traverse gun of at least 75 millimeters calibre. In addition, any wheeled armoured fighting vehicles entering into service which meet all the other criteria stated above shall also be deemed battle tanks.

History

 Cold War

Medium tanks gradually evolved into the new concept of the MBT. This transition happened gradually in the 1960s^[1], as it was realized that medium tanks could carry guns (such as the US 90 mm, Soviet 100 mm, and especially the British L7 105 mm) that could penetrate any practical level of armor at long range. The World War II concept of heavy tanks, armed with the most powerful guns and heaviest armor, became obsolete since they were just as vulnerable as other vehicles to the new medium tanks.^{[citation needed]} Likewise, World War II had shown that lightly-armed, lightly-armored tanks were of little value in most roles. Even reconnaissance vehicles had shown a trend towards heavier weight and greater firepower during World War II; speed was not a substitute for armor and firepower.
The Main Battle Tank thus took on the role the British had once called the 'Universal tank', exemplified by the Centurion, filling almost all battlefield roles. Typical Main Battle Tanks were as well armed as any other vehicle on the battlefield, highly mobile, and well armored. Yet they were cheap enough to be built in large numbers. The first American main battle tank was the M60^[2], and the first Soviet main battle tank was the T-64^[3].

[edit] Asymmetrical warfare

A German Leopard 2 in the PSO-version, prepared for asymmetrical warfare

As of 2005, there were 1,100 M1 Abrams used by the United States Army in the course of the Iraq War. They have proven to have an unexpectedly high vulnerability to roadside bombs.^[4] A relatively new type of remotely-detonated mine, the explosively formed penetrator has been used with some success against American armoured vehicles. However, with upgrades to their armour in the rear, M1s have proven invaluable in fighting insurgents in urban combat, particularly at the Battle of Fallujah, where the Marines brought in two extra brigades.^[5] Britain deployed its Challenger 2 tanks to support its operations in southern Iraq.

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Design

 Overview

1. Periscope 2. Gun mantlet 3. Coaxial gun 4. Bore evacuator 5. Main gun 6. Driver's optics 7. Driver's hatch 8. Glacis plate 9. Continuous track 10. Machine gun ammunition 11. Commander's machinegun

12. Hatch or cupola 13. Gun turret 14. Turret ring 15. Hull 16. Engine air intake 17. Engine compartment 18. Armoured skirt 19. Drive sprocket 20. Link 21. Road wheel

 Countermeasures

The M1 Abrams has been modified to counter threats unique to asymmetric warfare

Originally, most MBTs relied on traditional steel armor to defend against various threats. As newer threats emerged, however, the defensive systems used by MBTs had to evolve to counter them. One of the first new developments was the use of reactive armor (ERA), developed by Israel in the early 1980s to defend against the shaped-charge warheads of modern anti-tank guided missiles and other such high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) projectiles. This technology was subsequently adopted and expanded upon by the United States and Soviet Union. The benefit of ERA was that it could be added to existing vehicles to increase their survivability, though the detonation of ERA blocks created a hazard to supporting infantry near the tank. Despite this drawback, it is still employed on many Russian MBTs, the latest generation Kontakt-5 being capable of defeating both HEAT and kinetic energy penetrator threats. The Soviets also developed systems designed to more actively neutralize hostile projectiles before they could even strike the tank, namely the Shtora and Arena systems. Recently, the United States has adopted similar technologies in the form of the Missile Countermeasure Device and as part of the Tank Urban Survival Kit used on Abrams tanks serving in Iraq.
Other defensive developments focused on improving the strength of the armor itself; the most notable advancement coming from the British with the development of chobham armor in the 1970s. It was first employed on the American M1 Abrams and later the Challenger 1. Chobham armor uses a lattice of composite and ceramic materials along with metal alloys to defeat incoming threats, and proved highly effective in the conflicts in Iraq in the early 1990s and 2000s; surviving numerous impacts from rocket-propelled grenades with negligible damage.

[edit] Weapons suite

An M1 Abrams firing.

French Leclerc.

MBTs are equipped with a main tank gun, and at least one machine gun.
MBT main guns are generally between 90 and 130mm caliber and can fire both anti personnel rounds such as high explosive or high explosive fragmentation as well as dedicated anti armor rounds, usually both HEAT (highly explosive anti-tank), and some form of high velocity kinetic energy penetrator round, such as APFSDS (Armor-piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot) ammunition. The cannon serves a dual role, able to engage other armored targets such as tanks and fortifications, and soft targets such as light vehicles and infantry. It is fixed to the turret, along with the loading and fire mechanism. Modern tanks utilize a sophisticated fire-control system, including rangefinders, computerized fire control, and stabilizers, which are designed to keep the cannon stable and aimed even if the hull is turning or shaking, making it easier for the operators to fire on the move and/or against moving targets.
Usually, a MBT carries 30-50 rounds of ammunition for its main gun, usually split between HE, HEAT and kinetic energy penetrator rounds. Some MBT's may also carry smoke or white phosphorus rounds. Some MBTs are equipped with an auto-loader, such as the French Leclerc, or the Russian T-64, T-72, T-80 and T-90 and, for this reason,the crew is reduced to 3 members.
As secondary weapons, an MBT usually uses between one and four machine guns to engage infantry and light vehicles. Many MBTs mount one heavy caliber anti-aircraft machine gun (AAMG), usually of .50 caliber (like the Browning M2 or DShK), which can be used against helicopters and low flying aircraft. However, their effectiveness is limited in comparison to dedicated anti-aircraft artillery. The tank's machine guns are usually equipped with between 500 and 3000 rounds each.

An Arjun tank undergoing suspension testing

Mobility

MBTs, like previous models of tanks, move on treads, which allow a decent level of mobility over most terrain including sand and mud. They also allow tanks to climb over most obstacles. MBTs are impermeable, so they can even dive into shallow water (5 meters with snorkel). On the other hand, treads are not as fast as wheels, therefore the maximum speed of a tank is about 65 km/h (72 for the Abrams M1). The extreme weight of vehicles of this type (60-70 tons) also limits their speed. They are usually equipped with a 1200-1500 HP engine (more than 25000 cc) with an operational range near 500 km.

Role

The Main Battle Tank fulfills the role the British had once called the 'Universal tank', filling almost all battlefield roles. The modern light tank supplements the MBT in expeditionary roles and situations where all major threats have been neutralized and excess weight in armor and armament would only hinder mobility and cost more money to operate.

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